Armaments
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
"Alright, if Lord Libate is coming, we will welcome him. However, we must prepare for war," said Marcus, the chairperson of the council, as he made his decision.
He turned to Joe Foster, "My friend, how about you take charge of entertaining him?"
"I'm willing to take on this tricky task," Foster nodded.
The chairperson then asked, "Now, could you please inform everyone about our armament situation?"
The weapons of the Horns Bay Alliance were mainly purchased from the Northwest Bay.
At first, the alliance did not want to rely too much on the Northwest Bay, but unfortunately, the weapons sold there were of high quality at low prices.
The cost of forging a sword at home or buying one from elsewhere could instead buy five to ten swords in the Northwest Bay, all of good quality.
This led to the Horns Bay Alliance increasingly depending on the Northwest Bay when expanding its arsenal; everyone wanted to spend less and achieve more.
The members of the council could not figure out how the Northwest Bay kept prices so low, especially for iron, which was an important raw material for forging weapons. Was the iron in the Northwest Bay simply popping out of ore?
Foster cleared his throat and confidently said, "Colleagues, even though once war breaks out, it is highly likely that the Horns Bay Church will have the support of the Holy See, we are also well-prepared to offset the Church's advantages."
"First, in terms of armor, we currently have prepared a total of thirty thousand sets of metal armor, including over three thousand high-grade armors. Additionally, we have over fifty thousand sets of leather armor. Even if we expand our army to a maximum of one hundred fifty thousand, we can achieve at least a fifty percent armor rate."
"Secondly, regarding weapons, we have a total of one hundred thousand spears, thirty thousand one-handed swords, ten thousand longbows, and thirty thousand short bows stored in various armories…"
"For large equipment, we have crafted one hundred crossbows, thirty large catapults, one hundred small slings, and siege engines…"
"In terms of draft animals, we have over thirty-five thousand horses and ten thousand mules…"
"And for food…"
The military transactions with the Northwest Bay were mainly conducted by the eldest son of the Marquis Foster, who was also very concerned about this matter. Before this meeting, he had specifically written down various data on paper.
After a while, Marquis Foster finished reading the statistics.
He finally summarized, "If we arm our army according to these figures, we will create a powerful army like never before in the history of Horns Bay. Even outside of Horns Bay, an army of this scale is rare. Thanks to the weapons from the Northwest Bay, we will truly arm every soldier into a deadly weapon capable of offense and defense, rather than a group of ragtag militia armed with pitchforks."
"Our army's organizational structure is extremely advanced. When recruiting soldiers, all they need to do is show up, and the government will provide standardized weapons and armor and conduct training. Our inland neighbors, on the other hand, require their soldiers to bring their own weapons."
"Moreover, we have made arrangements with major mercenary groups in Horns Bay, and they are all willing to accept our hiring—of course, when we need them."
Listening to Foster's confident report on the military situation, everyone in the chairperson's office felt their confidence soar.
Horas excitedly pumped his fist, "That's it! We should return fists for fists, blades for blades! The Church's army will surely be terrified in front of a united front that brings its full strength. But—"
He suddenly furrowed his brow and spoke in a warning tone.
"Be sure to guard against traitors, especially those who constantly praise the Church."
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but chuckle quietly, knowing Horas was referring to "Devout Simmons," a pious member of the council who often clashed with Horas. Recently, due to the tense situation between the alliance and the Church, he had shut himself away at home and hadn't participated much in council discussions.
At this moment, a council member suddenly asked, "Do we have any plans for our fleet's combat mission during ground warfare?"
As soon as he posed the question, everyone burst into laughter, reddening with embarrassment. Did those inland bumpkins even have warships? What was there to discuss about a fleet when dealing with a bunch of landlocked individuals?
Chairperson Marcus still answered the question, "Though you may think little of it, I am preparing to recruit a hundred warships just in case. A large number of combat-capable vessels have been registered and are no longer sailing. Should the need arise, our port can assemble at least fifty fully crewed ships within three days."
"Just in case?"
Horas asked, "Are we preparing for our allies to turn traitor and join the Church?"
The chairperson replied, "Oh, Mr. Horas, do not maliciously suspect our allies with whom we have signed defensive agreements. I believe in the integrity and morals of our allied rulers. What I am worried about is their military readiness; they might not be as well-prepared as we are."
"If... I mean if, one of their ports is captured from the land, then it would threaten our merchant ships. As long as they have money, they can still recruit a band of sea rogues."
"Furthermore!"
Chairperson Marcus surveyed everyone.
"We must be vigilant against the threat of the Holy See. Though their ports are somewhat far from us, we cannot afford to be careless."
...
"Ah-choo!"
The militiaman on duty sneezed, feeling a bit dizzy as he covered his nose and wiped his runny nose on the brick wall next to him.
This was a checkpoint located on the border of the Horns Bay Alliance, which did not exist before; it was newly established half a year ago.
Ever since the conflict with the Church became public, the Horns Bay Alliance had built a large number of such checkpoints along the border. A watchtower, five or six meters high, made of wood or stone, accompanied by a small house for the stationed guards. Each checkpoint typically housed two or three guards or local militia.
Their purpose was not defense but vigilance.
The duty-bound militiaman felt unfortunate for having caught a cold, but his application to rest at home was rejected by his superiors, all because of the damned situation.
Hmm? What is that?
The guard's pupils quickly focused on the road in the distance.
This had once been a trade route, which used to carry most of the commercial transport between the Horns Bay Alliance and the inland country of Silan Duchy. However, since the situation worsened, the road had grown increasingly desolate; nowadays, one could only occasionally see rabbits darting from one side to the other.
But now, a convoy unexpectedly appeared on this road, which had been devoid of human presence for an entire day.
Is the inland country invading?
The militiaman's heart raced with tension, and he widened his eyes to gaze in that direction.
(End of the Chapter)
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